Adilson Malanda (born 29 October 2001, age 24) is a French central defender with Middlesbrough, where he wears squad number 29. At 6ft 4in (1.94m), he is an imposing presence, and his current market value is around £7m, according to Transfermarkt.
The bulk of Malanda’s senior football came at Charlotte FC, where he made 100 league appearances across four seasons and scored twice. That spell gives his career its shape: regular football, steady exposure, and enough consistency to become more than just another centre-half passing through Major League Soccer.
His busiest Charlotte season came in 2024, when he played 32 league matches and scored once. It was hardly a goalscoring tale, but for a defender the point was the volume of football and the trust placed in him over a full campaign.
Malanda is now at Middlesbrough. In 2026-27, he has made seven appearances in all competitions, including Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and Championship play-off outings.
His career so far is straightforward enough: a French defender whose reputation was largely built at Charlotte FC, now trying to establish the same regular footing in England with Middlesbrough.
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